Pneumatic-despatch-tube system.



A G. F. STUDDARD. PNEUMATIG DESPATGH TUBE SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1 907.

Patented June 1,1909.

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G. F. STODDARD. PNEUMATIG IIBSPATGH TUBE SYSTEM'. i

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

Patented June 1, 1909.

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c. P. sToDDARD. PNEUMATIC DESPATCH TUBE SYSTEM. APPLIUATION FILED JUNE 20, 1907.

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UNITED BATENT CHARLES F. STODDARD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN PNEUMATIC SERVICE COMPANY, OF DOVER, DELAWARE, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

PNEUIVIATIC-DESPATCH-TUBE SYSTEM.

Yatented .Tune l, 1909.

1907. Serial No. 379,836.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES F. STODDARD, oi Dorchester, Boston, in the county oi Suii'olk and State ol' Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pneumatic Despatch Tube Systems, ol which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to new and use'l'ul improvements in terminals 'l'or pneumatic despatch tube apparatus and especially to such apparatus wherein large carriers are used for the transmission ol' mail matter, merchandise and the like.

rthe object of my invention is to produce a machine simple in construction and efficient in operation an d one which will automatically handle a second carrier while the iirst is being discharged on to the receiving table.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate a construction embodyng my invention, Figure l is a longitudinal section through the terminal with parts in position to receive a carrier, Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position ol' the parts just al'ter a carrier has entered the terminal; F ig. 3 is a similar view showing position of parts with both gates down and the carrier between the gates; Fig. 4 is a similar view showing all parts in the opposite direction from that shown in l? ig. 1, the machine just discharging a carrier.

Lilie letters ol' reference rel'cr to like parts throughout the several views.

The main transmission tube A is located in alinement with the compression chamber A2 oi the terminal and beyond the slotted casing A through which the pressure passes into the return tube A3. Located on the upper side oi the compression chamber A2 is the cylinder D4 connected with the compression chamber A2 by the pipes and C and located with in said cylinder is the piston D2, connected by the rod D3 with the piston D which in turn is connected by the rod D5 to the rod D7 by the hinged joint DG. he rod D7 is pivotally connected to the finger DS at E, and this linger DS swings on the bracket E2 to which itis pivotally connected at E, and this hnger DS normally extends into the path ol the discharging carrier as shown in Fig. 2. 'liihe air supplied for operating the inner and outer gates B and B2 in the terminal enters through the pipe C into the valve-casing D and is conveyed into the top of the inner and outer cylinders B6 and B5 by the pipes C C2 and operates the pistons B* B7, to which are respectively connected the gates B and B2 by the piston rods B3 and B.

The carrier coming into the compression chamber A2 is brought to a stop by the compression ol the air in front of it as the gate B2 is closed. his pressure passes by the pipe CG into the cylinder D4 and forces the piston D2 to the right of the cylinder D4, as shown in Eig. 2. This movement of the piston D2 moves the piston-valve D from the position ,shown in Fig. 1 to that shown in Fig. 2 and also brings the 'linger down into the position shown in full lines Fig. 2. The air-supply entering the valve-casing D through the pipe C, then passes through the pipe C to the upper side of the pistonB4 in the cylinder B, and closes the gate B. As the piston B4 reaches the lower end oi the cylinder B it passes the port l), which admits the pressure to the under side of the piston B7 in the cylinder B;5 through the pipe C4. This pressure raises the piston B7 to the upper' end oll the cylinder causing the raising of the gate B2, which is connected to the piston B7 by rod B. A portion of the pressure from the line A passes through the port B2 in the gate B into the chamber A2 back of the carrier and forces the carrier out olE the chamber A2 on to the table A". In this position of the parts, Fig. 2, the 'finger B8 is in the path oi the carrier, which strikes it as it comes on to the table A4 after it has passed the outer gate B2. The ringer DS is moved from the position shown in iull lines Fig. 2 to that shown in full lines Fig. l by the carrier, which moves the piston-valve from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. l, thereby opening the pipe C to the atmosphere to allow the pressure in it and the cylinder BG to exhaust to the atmosphere. The pressure from the pipe C then passes through the pipe C2 into the cylinder Bi above the piston B7 and forces it down into the position shown in Fig. As the piston B7 reaches the lower end oi' the cylinder B it passes the port I4" and allows the pressure on the upper side of the piston B7 to pass through the pipe C3 to the under side ol the piston B4 in the cylinder BG thereby raising the piston B4 to the position shown in Fig. l, which places the apparatus in position to receive another carrier. The pipe C5 connected to the cylinder D4 is for the purpose of balancing the piston D2 When the machine is not in operation.

A3 is a suitable buffer to stop the carrier When it reaches the end of the table A4.

In the automatic mechanism for controlling the second carrier, R is a slotted casing similar to the slooted casing A which is laced in the transmission tube A far enough Rack from the slotted casing A to give the receiving chamber R sufficient time to cushion the carrier as Will be hereinafter explained. The slotted casing R is connecteh to the return tube A3 by the tube R2. Located in the tubes A3 and R2 are the butterfly valves R3 and R4, connected by the cranks R5 and R6 to the connecting rods R7 and R3, which are in turn connected to the piston rod R3. This piston rod RJ is securely fastened to the piston T which moves in the cylinder T. This cylinder T is conveniently fastened to the receiving chamberv R by the bracket T2. One end of the cylinder T is connected by the pipe C8 With the port P4 of the cylinder B6. This port P4 is placed just below the piston B4 when it is in its uppermost position. The opposite end of the cylinder T is connected y the pipe C9 with the top end of the cylinder BG. The butterfly valves R3 and R4 are so connected together through the piston T that one will be Wide open and the other completely closed When the piston T is at one eXtreme end of the cylinder T and vice versa. The compression spring S tends to hold the piston T in the position shown in Fig. 2.

When the machine is in its normal position ready to receive a carrier, the under side of the piston B4 is under pressure and the upper side under exhaust; therefore, the pipe C3 contains air under pressure and the pipe' C3 does not contain air under pressure, and so the respective ends of the cylinder T are under pressure and this pressure holds the piston T against the spring S in the position shown in Fig. 1. W hen the machine is in this position, thebutterfly valve R3 is open and the valve R4 is closed, therefore, the current of airpasses` from the transmission tube A straight through the slotted casing R and the receiving chamber R through the slotted casing A and into the return pipe A3.

A carrier, upon entering the receiving chamber A4, raises the pressure infront of it by cushioning and thereby moves the piston valve D into the position shown in Fig. 2, changing the air under exhaust on the upper side of the piston B4 to pressure, and the air under pressure on the under side of the piston B4 to exhaust, and likewise the air in the pipesv C3 and CS ischanged so that the piston T is moved to the position shown in Fig. 2, butterfly valve R3 closed, and butterfiy valve R4 open, so that the current of air now passes from the transmission tube A through the slotted casing R into the return pipe A3 through the pipe As the piston B4 is moved down to the position shown in Fig. 3, it passes the port P4 and the air pressure above the piston B4 passes through the port P4 into the pipe C8, thereby balancing the piston T, but the piston T held in its-position b y spring S. After' the gate B is closed, the gate B2 opens, and the carrier is discharged on to the table A4 engaging the finger D8 and throwing the piston D into the position shown in Fig. l, thereby connecting the pipe C2 With pressure and the pipe C with eX- haust, which connects the upper end of the cylinder BG with exhaust and also the pipes C3 and C4. Connecting the pipes CS and C3 with exhaust leaves the piston T still in balance, and the spring S continues to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 4. The machine then starts to return to its normal position, the gate B2 closing before the gate B opens, but the port F4 remaining connected With exhaust until the piston B4 reaches the upper end of the cylinder B3, completing the cycle of operation. YWhen the port P4`comes under pressure which is transmitted to one end of the cylinder T through the pipe C3, this forces the piston T to the end of the cylinder as shown in Fig. 1, thereby opening the pipe A3 and closing the pipe R4.

It Will be seen that as soon as a carrier enters the machine and the positions of the butterfly valves R3 and R4 are changed from that shown in Fig. l to that shown in Fig. 2, the function of the receiving chamber R changes from acting as a continuation of the transmission tube A to acting as a cushioning chamber so that should a carrier come into the machine before it has completed its cycle of operation, it will be brought to a standstill in the receiving chamber R by cushioning on the air in front of it and the current of air passing `from the transmission tube through the slotted-casing R intoI the pipe R3 will not be interrupted and the carrier lwill not strike against the gate B. At the instant the lpiston B4 reaches the eXtreme upper end of the cylinder B3 as the machine completes its cycle of operation, the positions of the butter-fi y valves R3 and R4 are quickly reversed, and should a carrier be in the receiving chamber R, the current of air, not having an avenue of escape back of the carrier will start it in motion andSv it Will enter the receiving chamber A3 in the same manner as a carrier does under normal conditions, and in raising the pressure of the air in front of it by cushioning, would start -the operation of the machine and discharge it on to the table A4 in the usual Way.

Having thus described the naturel of my invention and set forth a construction embodying the same, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oit the United States is:

l. In apparatus of the class described, a transmission tube, a return tube, a receiving chamber in said transmission tube having communications at its opposite ends with said return tube, a gate for opening and closing the outer end of said chamber, valves controlling said coinmunicaticns, and means operating when the gate is closed to turn said valves to close the communication at the outer end of said chamber and to open the communication at the inner end of said chamber and also operating to reverse the valves when the gate is open.

2. In apparatus of the class described, a transmission tube, a return tube, a receiving chamber in said transmission tube having communications at its opposite ends with said return tube, a gate controlling the outer end of said chamber, valves controlling said communications, means normally holding' said valves to close the communication at the outer end of said chamber and to open the communication at the inner end of said chamber, and pneumatically actuated mechanism operating to reverse said valves when the gate is open.

3. In apparatus of the class described, a transmission tube, a return tube, a receiving chamber in said transmission tube having communications at its opposite ends with said return tube, a gate controlling the outer end of said chamber, valves oppositely disposed in said communications, a rod connecting said valves, a spring normally pressing said rod to close the valve in the outer communication and to open the valve in the inner communication, and pneumatically actuated mechanism operating to move said rod against the action of said spring to reverse the valves when said gate is open.

4. In apparatus of the class described, a transmission tube, a return tube, a receiving chamber in said transmission tube having communications at its opposite ends with said return tube, a gate controlling the outer end of said chamber, a source of air-pressure,

a cylinder communicating with said source of air-pressure, valve-mechanism controlling the communications between said cylinder and said source of air-pressure, a piston in said cylinder to open and close said gate, valves in said communications between the receiving chamber and the return tube, and mechanism actuated by air-pressure from said cylinder operatingto close the valve in the outer communication of the receiving chamber and to open the valve in the inner communication when the gate is closed and also operating to reverse the valves when the gate is open.

5. In apparatus of the class described, a transmission tube, a return tube, a receiving chamber in said transmission tube having communications at its opposite ends with said return tube, a gate controlling the outer end of said chamber, a source of air-pressure, a cylinder communicating with said source of air-pressure, valve-mechanism controlling the communications between said cylinder and said source of air-pressure, a piston in said cylinder to open and close said gate, oppositely disposed valves in said communications between the receiving chamber and the return tube, a rod connecting said valves, a spring normally pressing said rod to close the valve in the outer communication of said chamber and to open the valve in the inner communication, a secondary cylinder communicating with the cylinder of the gateeoperating mechanism, a piston in said secondary cylinder connected with said rod actuated by the air-pressure from the gate-operating cylinder to move said rod against the action of said spring to reverse said valves when the gate is closed.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this sixth day et June A. D. 1907.

CHARLES F. STODDARD.

Iitnesses A. L. MERCER, L. G, BARTLETT. 

